Radio antenna system



7 1,620,231 1927 D. w. RICHARDSQN RADIO ANTENNA 'SYS TEM Filed April 26, 1922 A TTORNE Y Patented Mar. 8, 1927.

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DAVID wnrlnns nronnnpson,

or rnrnqn'ro-n, NEW JERSEY.

RADIO ANTENNA sYs'r M.

npplication filed April 26, 1922. Serial No. 555,706.

This invention relates to radio antenna for railroad cars, trains and the like, and has for its object the provision of a readily erectable, demountable and extensible antenna adapted to be supported from cars and the like.

In order to equip trains made up of a series of connected cars, with antenna'several diiticulties must be overcome. Because 0t existing structures under which trains must pass, the distance of the antenna from the cars is limited; and as it is desirable that the antenna be erected and dismantled from only the ends of the cars, the wire must be tightly stretched between the end supports to prevent sag in the center with consequent loss or" effective height and danger of grounding against the cars. The limited height makes it necessary to use more than one wire to obtain the desired antenna characteristics and it is desirable that these wires be located on opposite sides of the cars. Were it not that the cars are displaced from alignment in going around the curves and that the antenna inust necessarily shorten and lengthen in stopping and starting, the wires thereof might be rigidly attached to the cars, but as the length of wire varies, means must be provided to extend and retract the antenna as occasion demands. Thevariation in length makes it necessary that the antenna supports permit the free movement of the wire and yet thoroughly insulate the wire from the car which is usually of steel. As it practical to equip only a few typeset cars, such as club cars, cabooses and the like, with apparatus, and yet it is necessary that the antenna be stretched over several cars to obtain the desired characteristics, means must be provided to enable the antenna wire to be supported from any cars which may be coupled in the train with the apparatus equipped cars and yet leave these cars free from'encumbrances when used in other trains. A

further requirement is that the wire be led into the car which contains the apparatus and therefore must be permanently attached toit. Provision must therefore be made for disposing of the length or" wire when not in use in such way that it is readily available.

In order to overQQlne these and'other ditficulties which have heretofore barred pr s in squ rt n tra w t a io apparatus, the system andapparatu s of this invention have been devised.

The car wherein the apparatus is located is-provided with reels on which the antenna wire may be wound when not in use. These reels may be, actuated in any way preferably by some semi-automatic means such as a spring or electric motor. Insulator supports for the wire are provided at each end of: the higher cars i. e. .ateach end of passenger coaches and box cars and the like. The e supports are preferably made in the form of removable stanchions, having insulators at their ends, adapted to be mounted in the lamp brackets which are attached to cars, thus making it possible to erect the antenna vfrom the car vestibule. Any sup port which is readily demountable to facilitate erection and dismantling of the antenna wire would, however, serve the purpose.

VVhen the antenna is not in use, it may be reeled in and the insulating stanchions may be demounted and stored inside the train; the train may then be broken up and the various cars switched about without any hindrance from the antenna system. When the train is made up, however, the antenna may be quickly erected by drawing the antenna. wire out to the desired length, at taching the insulator stanchions to tne wire and mounting the stanchions in their brackets at each end of the cars. All this may be done from the ground or the car vestibule. The motor reel willautomatically maintain enough tension in the wire to keep it clear of the cars.

A further advantage of an antenna of this kind is that it is readily adjustable and may be stretched over a plurality of cars in order that its natural period may be altered for the reception of signals of widely different wave lengths. The extreme end section of the antenna may be of non-conducting rope or the like which permits more careful adjustmentof antenna wire length to be made by merely taking in or letting out the rope portion.

in order to more clearly set forth the nature or": this invention, details of a preferred embodiment are illustrated in the accompanying drawing and described in the tollowing paraqraphs. in the c lrawing:

Fig. l is a conventional showing of a passenger "train equipped with an antenna in accordance with this inrention. i

Fig. 2 is an enlarged drawing of a car end show ng the stanchion and meansof mountmg.

Fig. 3 shows the insulator pulleys and mode of mounting the wire therein.

Fig. 4 is a top view or" a car end and shows the reels, motors and means for leading in the antenna Wires.

Referring now to the figures, the passenger coaches 5 and 6 which represent a train, are provided with an antenna 7 strung on insulating supports 8 and tensioned by a spring actuated reel 9. The non-conducting portion of the antenna wire 7 may consist of a rope or the like and is provided atthe end so that the wire length may be increased or decreased after the antenna is erected by merely drawing in or letting out the rope. When the antenna is not in use it is loosened from the stanchions 8, which are demounted, and is reeled in by the reel 9. To erect the antenna, the wire 7 is drawn out, the stan chions 8 are attached to the wire and then mounted on the car ends by means of the lamp brackets 11.

The stanchions 8. are preferably of the form shown in Fig. 3 and consist of a metal or wooden support 10, adapted to be retained in the bracket 11, an insulator 12 and pulleys 13. If cars are not already provided with suitable brackets 11, special ones may easily be attached. The insulator 12 may be of any convenient form and carries a pair of pulleys l3 and a guard 14, as shown in Fig. 2. The pulleys are so spaced that the wire 7 may be easily inserted between them but so that, when the stanchion is turned for attaching to the car, the. pulley flanges 115 overlap the wire and retain it between the pulleys. These pulleys are necessary, in cases where the wire is very taut, in order that the reel may freely compensate for changes of length of the wire 7.

The arrangement of the antenna wires 7 and retractile reels 9 is clearly shown in Fig. et. The reel 9 is either made of insulating material or is thoroughly insulated from the car 6 as this is usually of steel. The driving motor 19 is attached to the reel 9 by a shaft butmay, of course, be an integral part of the reel as an electric or spring motor. If the reel and motor are insulated from the car, as in this case, the lead-in wires 16 and 17 and the antenna wires 7, may be conveniently attached to the reel framesand led in to insulator 18. It can be seen from the position of the wires shown in Fig. 4 that the positions of the cars when rounding a curve will lengthen one wire and shorten the other.

To recapitulate, this invention provides a means whereby radio apparatus including antenna may be entirely contained on one car and the antenna. may be readily extended and supported from any cars which may be coupled in the train with the apparatus equipped car. The means provided may comprise removable insulating stanchions 8,

retractile reels 9 and antenna wires 7. It should be understood, however, that various types of antenna other than single wires may be erected in this way and that the stanchions are not necessarily demount-able. Other modifications may be made to suit various conditions withoutgoing beyond the scope of this invention.

I claim:

1. In combination with a train of connected cars, a continuous unit antenna extending over more than one car and secured to said train only at the far ends of said antenna, the central portion of the antenna being loosely supported on intermediate cars.

2. In combination with a train of con nected' cars, an extensible antenna system comprising a reel mounted on one of said cars, a continuous removable antenna connected to said reel and extending over more than one car and secured atthe end opposite said reel, insulating devices attached to said cars to support but not retain said antenna, and means for automatically actuating said reel to, maintain a tension on said antenna wire.

3. An extensible train antenna system adapted to extend over several cars of a train comprising an automatic tension reel mounted on one car, an antenna wire attached thereto and partially Wound thereon extending over more than one car and secured only at the end opposite said reel, in- V sulator stanchions on intermediate cars adapted to support said antenna wire, said reel being adapted to maintain said wire taut.

4. In combination .With a train of cars, an extensibleantenna system adapted to extend over several cars comprising an automatic reel mounted on one of said cars, demountable insulator stanchions adapted to be attached to said cars, a wire'partially wound on said reel and'adapted-to be wholly wound I on said reel, and extending over more than one of said cars, said wire being secured only at the reel and the point farthest from said reel and being freely supported by said stanchions. V

5. An extensible train antenna system adapted to extend over several cars of a train, comprising an automatictension reel mounted on one car, an, antenna wire attached thereto and partially wound thereon extending over more than one car and Se cured at the end opposite said reel, said reel being adapted to maintain said wire taut, and intermediate supporting means for said antenna wire comprising abracke-t-secured to an intermediate car and an insulator stanchion adapted to be inserted in and re movably retained by said bracket.

6. An extensible train antenna system adapted to extend over severalca-rs of a;

train, comprising an automatictension reel mounted on one car, an antenna W1re attached thereto and partially Wound thereon extending over more than one car and secured only at the end opposite said reel, said reel being adapted to maintain said wire taut, and intermediate supporting means for said antenna wire comprising a bracket secured to an intermediate car and a support having means on one end thereof adapted to be inserted in said bracket and releasably retained thereby and on the other end thereof insulator pulleys adapted to confine said antenna wire between them.

7. An extensible train antenna system adapted to extend over several cars of a train, comprising an automatic tension reel mounted on one car, an antenna wire attached thereto and partially wound thereon extending over more than one car and secured only at the end opposite said reel, said reel being adapted to maintain said wire taut, and intermediate supporting means for said antenna Wire comprising a bracket secured to an intermediate car and a stanchion adapted to be inserted in and releasably retained by said bracket having means thereon for supporting said antenna Wire and restraining its lateral movement while permitting free longitudinal movement.

8. An extensible train antenna system adapted to extend over several cars of a train, comprising an automatic tension reel mounted on one car, an antenna wire attached thereto and partially wound thereon, a non-conducting cable attached to the free end of said antenna wire, said antenna Wire and non-conducting cable extending over more than one car and secured only at the end opposite said reel, said reel being adapted to maintain said Wire taut and said nonconducting cable being adapted to permit adjustment of the effective length of said antenna wire, and insulator stanchions on intermediate cars adapted to support said antenna wire.

9. In a radio antenna system for cars and the like, supporting means for said antenna system comprising a bracket secured to the car and a stanchion comprising a support, means on one end of said support adapted to be inserted in said bracket and releasably retained thereby, insulator pulleys mounted on the opposite end of said bracket adapted to support the antenna wire and restrain it against lateral movement.

In testimony whereof I atfix my signature.

DAVID lVELLES RICHARDSON. 

